Relive Summer

1 Have “summer night” in the living room and relive those warm July days anytime. Pop a “summer sounds” or “nature sounds” CD into the stereo and roast hot dogs and marshmallows in the fireplace or outside on a gas grill. Sip a summery drink and play favorite cabin card or board games.

2 Create a stockpile of summer recipes in the winter so you’re prepared to feed the hungry hoards in the summer. The best dishes are easily prepared, involve lots of helpers and feed a crowd. Also, try to find ones that utilize fresh produce available at local farmers markets during summer months.

3 Got a hot tub at home? Climb in and imagine the lake, but enhance your experience by listening to classic summer music. Rock, pop, country, classical — the genre doesn’t matter as long as the sound is lively and fun and brings out your inner beach bum.

4 Collect coffee-table books featuring photographs of cabins and cottages, and then stash them close by your favorite relaxation spot. Settle in with a hot drink and muse about your plans for next summer.

5 Depending on your level of handiness, use some of those winter weekends to make something for your cabin — a new picnic table, fresh curtains, a warm quilt or fishing rod holder. Daydream as you work, and winter will fly right by!

6 Need a new dock, kayak or grill? Keep summer on your mind by researching choices and do some comparison shopping so that your eventual purchase is perfect. You may not buy until spring, but the hunt is half the fun.

7 Miss those summer nights by the fire? There’s no reason you can’t have a campfire year-round. Brave the weather, pull out lawn chairs and revel in the warmth of an off-season bonfire. S’mores would not be out of the question!

photo © Monkey Business Images, dreamstime.com